J Dilla - Donuts (2LP)
Donuts was made on a hospital bed and in a home studio, on a stripped-down setup with a stack of vinyl. Released on its maker's 32nd birthday, three days before he passed away, the album has a resonance deeper than anyone could've hoped for or even imagined. Some who were close to Dilla have said that there are hidden messages in the samples, the track titles, and who knows where else.
Most of the tracks fall into the 60-90 second range. It's easy to be overwhelmed, or even put off, by the rapid-fire sequence, but it's astounding how so many of the sketches leave an immediate impression. By the third or fourth listen, what initially came across as a haphazard stream of slapped-together fragments begins to take the shape of a 44-minute suite filled with wistful joy. Like everything else Dilla has ever done, Donuts is not defining; in fact, elements of its approach bare the apparent influence of Jaylib collaborator Madlib. His mode has always been too slippery and restlessly progressive to be equated with any one track or album, but Donuts just might be the one release that best reflects his personality. - Andy Kellman, AllMusic
Tracklist
1. Donuts (Outro) (00:13)
2. Workinonit (02:57)
3. Waves (01:39)
4. Light It (00:36)
5. The New (00:50)
6. Stop! (01:39)
7. People (01:24)
8. The Diff'rence (01:52)
9. Mash (01:31)
10. Time: The Donut of the Heart (01:39)
11. Glazed (01:21)
12. Airworks (01:45)
13. Lightworks (01:55)
14. Stepson of the Clapper (01:01)
15. The Twister (Huh, What) (01:17)
16. One Eleven (01:11)
17. Two Can Win (01:47)
18. Don't Cry (01:59)
19. Anti-American Graffiti (01:54)
20. Geek Down (01:20)
21. Thunder (00:54)
22. Gobstopper (01:05)
23. One for Ghost (01:18)
24. Dilla Says Go (01:16)
25. Walkinonit (01:15)
26. The Factory (01:24)
27. U-Love (01:01)
28. Hi. (01:17)
29. Bye. (01:28)
30. Last Donut of the Night (01:40)
31. Welcome to the Show (01:12)
Cat no: STH2126
Donuts was made on a hospital bed and in a home studio, on a stripped-down setup with a stack of vinyl. Released on its maker's 32nd birthday, three days before he passed away, the album has a resonance deeper than anyone could've hoped for or even imagined. Some who were close to Dilla have said that there are hidden messages in the samples, the track titles, and who knows where else.
Most of the tracks fall into the 60-90 second range. It's easy to be overwhelmed, or even put off, by the rapid-fire sequence, but it's astounding how so many of the sketches leave an immediate impression. By the third or fourth listen, what initially came across as a haphazard stream of slapped-together fragments begins to take the shape of a 44-minute suite filled with wistful joy. Like everything else Dilla has ever done, Donuts is not defining; in fact, elements of its approach bare the apparent influence of Jaylib collaborator Madlib. His mode has always been too slippery and restlessly progressive to be equated with any one track or album, but Donuts just might be the one release that best reflects his personality. - Andy Kellman, AllMusic
Tracklist
1. Donuts (Outro) (00:13)
2. Workinonit (02:57)
3. Waves (01:39)
4. Light It (00:36)
5. The New (00:50)
6. Stop! (01:39)
7. People (01:24)
8. The Diff'rence (01:52)
9. Mash (01:31)
10. Time: The Donut of the Heart (01:39)
11. Glazed (01:21)
12. Airworks (01:45)
13. Lightworks (01:55)
14. Stepson of the Clapper (01:01)
15. The Twister (Huh, What) (01:17)
16. One Eleven (01:11)
17. Two Can Win (01:47)
18. Don't Cry (01:59)
19. Anti-American Graffiti (01:54)
20. Geek Down (01:20)
21. Thunder (00:54)
22. Gobstopper (01:05)
23. One for Ghost (01:18)
24. Dilla Says Go (01:16)
25. Walkinonit (01:15)
26. The Factory (01:24)
27. U-Love (01:01)
28. Hi. (01:17)
29. Bye. (01:28)
30. Last Donut of the Night (01:40)
31. Welcome to the Show (01:12)
Cat no: STH2126
Donuts was made on a hospital bed and in a home studio, on a stripped-down setup with a stack of vinyl. Released on its maker's 32nd birthday, three days before he passed away, the album has a resonance deeper than anyone could've hoped for or even imagined. Some who were close to Dilla have said that there are hidden messages in the samples, the track titles, and who knows where else.
Most of the tracks fall into the 60-90 second range. It's easy to be overwhelmed, or even put off, by the rapid-fire sequence, but it's astounding how so many of the sketches leave an immediate impression. By the third or fourth listen, what initially came across as a haphazard stream of slapped-together fragments begins to take the shape of a 44-minute suite filled with wistful joy. Like everything else Dilla has ever done, Donuts is not defining; in fact, elements of its approach bare the apparent influence of Jaylib collaborator Madlib. His mode has always been too slippery and restlessly progressive to be equated with any one track or album, but Donuts just might be the one release that best reflects his personality. - Andy Kellman, AllMusic
Tracklist
1. Donuts (Outro) (00:13)
2. Workinonit (02:57)
3. Waves (01:39)
4. Light It (00:36)
5. The New (00:50)
6. Stop! (01:39)
7. People (01:24)
8. The Diff'rence (01:52)
9. Mash (01:31)
10. Time: The Donut of the Heart (01:39)
11. Glazed (01:21)
12. Airworks (01:45)
13. Lightworks (01:55)
14. Stepson of the Clapper (01:01)
15. The Twister (Huh, What) (01:17)
16. One Eleven (01:11)
17. Two Can Win (01:47)
18. Don't Cry (01:59)
19. Anti-American Graffiti (01:54)
20. Geek Down (01:20)
21. Thunder (00:54)
22. Gobstopper (01:05)
23. One for Ghost (01:18)
24. Dilla Says Go (01:16)
25. Walkinonit (01:15)
26. The Factory (01:24)
27. U-Love (01:01)
28. Hi. (01:17)
29. Bye. (01:28)
30. Last Donut of the Night (01:40)
31. Welcome to the Show (01:12)
Cat no: STH2126
